The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-19

LEES OTfiCi: ~ uSt aS hC left 1T.
In 1S55, when several now cavalry regi-
ncnts were organized, Col Leo was commits.
stoned lieutenant colonel Of the Second cav
airy, which WAS commanded by COL Albert
Sidney Johnston, of Confcdcrato fame, who
was killed nt Shiloh. This regiment fur
nislcd manv o!.ic"r3 CT high rank to both
armies cur':,:: tho late war, and produced
moro generals than any regiment u tho old
army. Con. George ii. Thomas, the Lnloved
Pap Thoma3," Of tlc Federal army, and
johnson, ;5tononEln and Palmer, also Union
ISIS, and H0"dcc, Van Dorm, Kirby Smith,
Hool, Field, Cosby, Eitzhush Lee, Confed-
crates.
For several years this regiment was cn-
gagged against tho Indians in Texas Col
Leo was ever active, and in ono OF tho battles
distinguished himself.
Ill letter 20 his wifc dated at Fort Drown,
Tcx., Dec &, 1856, speaking OF President
pic-ce'5 message, which huh something to say
about "thc efforts Of certain pcopio ut tho
north 70 Interfere with and change tho do
mcstic institutions Of tho south," ho writes:
"Thcrc arc few, / believe, In this cnlight-
cncl age, who will not acknowledge that
slavery rs an institution is q moral and po-
litical evil i'll any country. 1t is useless to
cXpatiato OH its disadvantages tlinl it is
n greater evil to the white than to tho black
race"
However, Ec Went Oh to say that tho cnlar-
cipation Of Tho slaves would sooner result
fro:a "tic mild and melting influence Of
Christianity than from the storms and
tempest 0; fiery controversy"
O.!a OF Lees officers who served with him
at this time has told how conscicntiously ho
made himself master Of every detail, mover
risking tho possibility Of acting under imper-
feet knowledge. Stern rs he was IN mattors
<,f< <1,,t1r ln ,tt Il
IIo was fHvoritc OF children, and his man.
ncr toward thon always lnado thcm feel
happy and easy III his presence Tho John
Brown iilaiIrrection at Harpcr's Forty was
tho cause CT Lees recall to Washington. He
was ordered to tako part III suppressing it,
and reached the Ferry OH October II, 1850.
In February, 1860, he was ordered to assume
tho command Of tho department Of Texas, and
was stationed at San Antonio.
EcSgns Ills Commission and Goes with
tho Confcderacy.
a year later, when tho country was trom-
bling Oh tho brink OF an uphcaval, md after
some Of the southern states had Secedc, from
the Union and formed what they ca.i',l tt,o
'SouthCrn COnfcdcracy," and war wa; 10
very mir, ho relinquished his comma: and
reported to the conlmanlel-in-chicf at WASH
ington. lIo was Virginian, and with tho
majority Of Nirgnians, chung to the Union as
did the Oh Dominion state herself At last,
when she w;;1 ordered to furnish her quota Of
troops TO in...'ya obedience within her bor-
dcrs, sEr tho Confederate flag and
went oTcr Il her fortunes with tho now
'lost cnuS>. other slave holding "bortlcr
StatCs' soon followed. Tho officers Of tho
! army and navy who had stood together rs
brothers separated, some to fight against tho
flag they had previously served, others to dc
fcnd it, and both to DO arraycd against their
former comrades and follow soldiers
Col. Leo resigned his commission and ten.
dcrch lis services to tho southern Con.
fcdcracy. IN his letter Of resignation he
said: at would havc been presented ut onco
but for tho struggle it has cost mo to separate
myself from service to which havo dovot.
ed all the best years Of my lifc, and all tho
ability ] possessed" 10 had been q distin-
guishcd officer in tho Federal army for moro
than quarter OF n century, and it was con-
fidcntly believed that he was destined to DO
tho successor Of Gen. Scott, to whom ho was
dcvotcdiy attached Hon. Montgomery Blair
was responsible for tho statement that PrcSi-
dent Lincoln sent ono OF his cabinet to offer
him tho command Of tho army, and Gen.
Scott did oil ho could to influence him to re-
main, and said TO him as ho bado him fare
well: "lGc, you have mado tho greatest
mistake of your life; but feared it would DO
So"
In n letter to his sister, written on tho Goth
| OF April, 1851 from his home at Arlington, ho
wrote: "With all my devotion to tho Union,
and Tho feeling of loyalty and duty Of an
| American citizen, 1 have not been ablo to
make up my mind to raise my hand against
my relatives, my children and my homo.
have, therefore, resigned my commission in
the army, and, save in defense of my native
state, with tho sincere hopo that my poor
services may mover DO needed, I hope may
never DO called OH to draw my sword. 1
know you will blamo mo; but you must think
rs kindly Of mo as You can, and bclicvo that 1
! have cl,dcavorol 10 do what thought right"